Both parties should support criminal justice reform. We can protect citizens, reduce crime and recidivism, and help people find work after serving time.

In our political climate, it is often far too difficult for leaders from different parties to find common ground. However, recent criminal justice reform initiatives that we have led in our states, along with a renewed focus from President Donald Trump and leaders in Washington, have proved that bipartisanship is not only possible, it also can result in positive policy changes for our country.

We are governors of states in different geographic regions of the United States, representing both political parties. However, we are very much in agreement on the critical need for criminal justice reform. We are encouraged that the president has issued an executive order to form the Federal Interagency Council on Crime Prevention and Improving Re-entry. We look forward to working with him and Congress to share our experiences and successes.

It's hard to re-enter the workplace

When governments pursue criminal justice reform, it is important to begin with the goals in mind. We can protect our citizens, reduce recidivism, reduce crime, and help those who have paid their debt to society to gain a renewed sense of purpose and a better life. These goals are much more achievable when those being released from prison have a path to marketable skills and gainful employment. Unfortunately, under the current criminal justice system, there are still significant barriers to that path.

The reforms we have championed are not “soft on crime”; they are smart on crime. Reducing recidivism and facilitating successful re-entry will lower crime rates. We know this from years of research and evidence-based reforms coming out of similarly situated states. When citizens returning to society don’t have access to jobs or training, they often return to destructive choices, which explains why nationally more than two-thirds of former inmates who are released are rearrested within three years. We are determined to break this cycle in our states, and we are already taking significant steps to do so.

These changes break the cycle

Some of the specific changes we are putting into effect include:

►Expungement. This measure allows certain low-level felons to expunge their records once they have completed the terms of their criminal sentence, thereby clearing away some of the barriers that can hold people back from leading successful, law-abiding lives.

►Fair chance employment. In Oklahoma, an executive order requires state agencies to eliminate questions about felony convictions from employment applications, giving citizens a fair chance to interview for state jobs.

►Legislation. In Kentucky, legislation was passed that prohibits state government employers and licensing boards from arbitrarily denying jobs and professional licenses based solely on a prior criminal conviction. The legislation also authorized creation of the Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program (PIE), which expands job training and employment opportunities for inmates.

►Policies to aid re-entry. In Virginia, leaders worked together this year to raise the Commonwealth's felony larceny threshold so that low-level theft does not result in Virginians being branded as felons for life. Virginia is also making significant strides using community-based services to keep juvenile offenders out of secure confinement, as well as preparing adult offenders to succeed after confinement.

►Apprenticeship programs. These partnerships between state corrections agencies give both adult and juvenile offenders an opportunity to earn nationally recognized journeyman credentials in skilled trades while serving their sentences inside correctional facilities.

►Justice reinvestment. In Louisiana, data projections show that reforms focused on nonviolent, nonsex offenders will reduce the prison population by 10 percent (while also reducing the community supervision population) and save more than $262 million over the next decade. Seventy percent of these savings will be reinvested into programs proven to promote public safety and support crime victims.

Congress should modernize criminal justice

These are just a few of the initiatives we have undertaken in our states. Congress took an important step recently when the House passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., that will support essential programs to reduce recidivism. We wholeheartedly support this measure and encourage the Senate to send it to President Trump’s desk. Moving forward, Congress and the president’s council can follow the lead of states like ours and make bold reform decisions that will modernize our criminal justice system.

Those who are seeking to turn their lives around are often highly motivated and can make valuable contributions to our workforce. The 21st century economy demands a highly skilled workforce. By adopting the right re-entry policies and giving inmates opportunities to learn leading-edge skills as they finish their sentences, we can deliver on that demand.

Criminal justice reform will lead to an improved workforce participation rate, a higher quality workforce, a higher quality of life and safer communities. Allowing those leaving our prisons the dignity of work can and will prove to be one of our most powerful rehabilitation tools, benefiting everyone in our communities. The citizens of America deserve nothing less.

Republican Matt Bevin is the governor of Kentucky. Democrat John Bel Edwards is the governor of Louisiana. Republican Mary Fallin is the governor of Oklahoma. Democrat Ralph Northam is the governor of Virginia. Follow them on Twitter: @MattBevin, @LouisianaGov​​,​@GovMaryFallin and@GovernorVA